Engagement of Persons with Dementia in Public Consultations: Process Evaluation

Abstract

Engagement of persons living with dementia in public consultations is central to the development of dementia-friendly communities (DFC). However, due to a lack of resources and expertise in how to support their involvement, persons living with dementia are not always involved in processes for planning the development and implementation of DFC initiatives. To better understand processes and methods that facilitate the engagement of persons living with dementia in public consultations, we evaluated the public consultation processes of a Canadian DFC initiative. A partially mixed-methods sequential equal status design guided this process evaluation. Data sources included surveys completed by public consultation participants, focus groups with members of the group that led the public consultation process, and the report that outlines consultation findings. Study results highlight the strengths and limitations of the public consultations and include recommendations for engaging persons living with dementia in public consultations. Results emphasize the importance of including persons living with dementia in DFC initiatives as project partners and public consultation participants.